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  <div class="section" id="include-directories">
<span id="command:include_directories"></span><h1>include_directories<a class="headerlink" href="#include-directories" title="Permalink to this headline">¶</a></h1>
<p>Add include directories to the build.</p>
<div class="highlight-cmake notranslate"><div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><span class="nf">include_directories(</span><span class="p">[</span><span class="no">AFTER</span><span class="p">|</span><span class="no">BEFORE</span><span class="p">]</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">[</span><span class="no">SYSTEM</span><span class="p">]</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="nb">dir1</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">[</span><span class="nb">dir2</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="p">...]</span><span class="nf">)</span><span class="w"></span>
</pre></div>
</div>
<p>Add the given directories to those the compiler uses to search for
include files.  Relative paths are interpreted as relative to the
current source directory.</p>
<p>The include directories are added to the <span class="target" id="index-0-prop_dir:INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES"></span><a class="reference internal" href="../prop_dir/INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES.html#prop_dir:INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES" title="INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES"><code class="xref cmake cmake-prop_dir docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES</span></code></a>
directory property for the current <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">CMakeLists</span></code> file.  They are also
added to the <span class="target" id="index-0-prop_tgt:INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES"></span><a class="reference internal" href="../prop_tgt/INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES.html#prop_tgt:INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES" title="INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES"><code class="xref cmake cmake-prop_tgt docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES</span></code></a> target property for each
target in the current <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">CMakeLists</span></code> file.  The target property values
are the ones used by the generators.</p>
<p>By default the directories specified are appended onto the current list of
directories.  This default behavior can be changed by setting
<span class="target" id="index-0-variable:CMAKE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES_BEFORE"></span><a class="reference internal" href="../variable/CMAKE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES_BEFORE.html#variable:CMAKE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES_BEFORE" title="CMAKE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES_BEFORE"><code class="xref cmake cmake-variable docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">CMAKE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES_BEFORE</span></code></a> to <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">ON</span></code>.  By using
<code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">AFTER</span></code> or <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">BEFORE</span></code> explicitly, you can select between appending and
prepending, independent of the default.</p>
<p>If the <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">SYSTEM</span></code> option is given, the compiler will be told the
directories are meant as system include directories on some platforms.
Signalling this setting might achieve effects such as the compiler
skipping warnings, or these fixed-install system files not being
considered in dependency calculations - see compiler docs.</p>
<p>Arguments to <code class="docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">include_directories</span></code> may use “generator expressions” with
the syntax “$&lt;…&gt;”.  See the <span class="target" id="index-0-manual:cmake-generator-expressions(7)"></span><a class="reference internal" href="../manual/cmake-generator-expressions.7.html#manual:cmake-generator-expressions(7)" title="cmake-generator-expressions(7)"><code class="xref cmake cmake-manual docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">cmake-generator-expressions(7)</span></code></a>
manual for available expressions.  See the <span class="target" id="index-0-manual:cmake-buildsystem(7)"></span><a class="reference internal" href="../manual/cmake-buildsystem.7.html#manual:cmake-buildsystem(7)" title="cmake-buildsystem(7)"><code class="xref cmake cmake-manual docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">cmake-buildsystem(7)</span></code></a>
manual for more on defining buildsystem properties.</p>
<div class="admonition note">
<p class="admonition-title">Note</p>
<p>Prefer the <span class="target" id="index-0-command:target_include_directories"></span><a class="reference internal" href="target_include_directories.html#command:target_include_directories" title="target_include_directories"><code class="xref cmake cmake-command docutils literal notranslate"><span class="pre">target_include_directories()</span></code></a> command to add include
directories to individual targets and optionally propagate/export them
to dependents.</p>
</div>
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